Sir, As Johann Lamont might say “I’m astonished”. The Courier has been outed as a nationalist rag apparently by George K McMillan (Letters, March 13).
His unionist diatribes have evidently been suppressed too. I don’t think keeping a yes/no score was quite necessary, nor is it personal. Hopefully he was being mischievous with tongue in cheek.
Perhaps he needs to realise, like I have, that not all of his daily letters are quite good enough. There’s a lot of good competition out there and limited column space.
Indeed, it would be good if the larger letters page on Wednesdays was repeated on other days, especially as we near the most important decision of our lives.
Scots certainly believe there’s a lot of bias in the media. However, unlike Mr McMillan, they think almost exclusively in favour of the union, as was shown by The Courier’s poll.
I’m sure The Courier itself is much fairer than most, and certainly his other daily by the sound of it.
What is more disturbing is the BBC bias that is the subject of a Holyrood inquiry this week. It goes against its very constitution.
Professor Robertson’s treatment over this has been shocking for doing no more than his job. As he stated himself the 3-2 ratio of bias in favour of the “No” campaign by the BBC was very much a deliberate underestimate by him to remove any doubt.
Bearing in mind the over- the-top BBC reaction, perhaps the professor may feel now he’d have been better hanged for a sheep than a lamb.
Whatever the result of the referendum the media, especially the BBC, need to get their act together. It would be tragic if all our lives were blighted in future by bitterness caused by bias. For that, a fair fight should be a necessity not just a bonus.
Brian Macfarlane. 10 Beck Crescent, Dunfermline.
How many will risk that leap in the dark?
Sir, In spite of the Kirk’s counter-intuitive report claiming that referendum voters do not rate financial considerations highly, news from the business sector will alarm many people.
According to the latest poll, nearly 40% of Scottish firms have contingency plans to relocate if there is a Yes vote and this will clearly place jobs and careers at risk.
I have no doubt Alex Salmond will yet again claim these firms are bullies and/or bluffing but how many people are really prepared to take this unnecessary leap in the dark.
Today I am a pensioner but I recall that in the 1979 referendum, even though Scotland was then much stronger economically and the oil fields were new, I voted “no”.
As a young family man in my 30s I simply could not afford to take such a crazy risk and I am utterly amazed at the insouciance with which people approach September’s vote.
Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.
Place your bets…
Sir, Growth begets growth and the effect of agglomeration has made London the economic capital of Britain, and also the world.
Twenty per cent of the wealth of the UK is now generated by London and the talent of the world continues to assemble there.
This synergy creates an economic powerhouse, giving benefit to all in various ways, but Alex Salmond wishes to disconnect Scotland from this, on the promise that if everybody does as he dictates, nationally and internationally, Scotland can replicate that situation.
Some might say “go for it”, others “fat chance”. Bets can be placed on September 18.
Malcolm Parkin. 15 Gamekeepers Road, Kinnesswood, Kinross.
Accuracy in teaching
Sir, I feel I have to write in support of G C Romanowski’s view (letters, March 6) that your report of pupils of St Paul’s school visiting a “Polish death camp” could be misconstrued.
I also agree with his/her emphasis on the fact that Polish people were second only to the Jews in numbers who lost their lives in the Nazi concentration camps.
Furthermore, as a nation, the Polish people suffered more deaths per capita than any other nation in the Second World War.
Sticking with accuracy in information that is taught to school pupils, it should be pointed out that civilian “concentration camps” housing men women and children of all ages were a British invention first used in 1900 by General Kitchener in South Africa during the second Boer War.
Then, to defeat the raiding Boer commandos, Kitchener rounded up their wives, children and their black workers into a number of concentration camps spaced out over the country.
Tens of thousands of Boers died of starvation and disease while incarcerated in these wretched places and while these numbers pale into insignificance with the numbers who died in Europe in the Second World War they were arguably as big a loss in relative terms.
The winners write the history books and these unpalatable facts are often left as blank pages. Let us hope the pupils of St Paul’s are taught all the facts and not just those that suit the establishment.
Tom Minogue. 94 Victoria Terrace, Dunfermline.